WHAT’S BUZZING
Asian consumers dependent on mobile devices for leisure
Consumers in Asia are increasingly turning to their mobile devices for day-to-day leisure activities, according to the Digital Lives study by Telenor Asia.
Nearly half of the respondents regularly meet new people online, and three-quarters expect to spend even more time socialising via social media mobile apps in the coming years.
People in Asia also spend a good chunk of their leisure time on mobile games, with 31% playing every day.
In-game spend continues to grow in appeal, evident from half of those surveyed spending some disposable income on gaming and in-game features. In Singapore, 20% of respondents spend between US$100 ($131) and US$300 per year on in-game items.
See also: Younger consumers in Singapore more receptive towards AI agents
Additionally, consumers in the region are increasingly looking to their mobile devices for self-improvement, personal upskilling and development during their downtime. They use mobile devices to tap into learning and educational apps or websites (40%) or learn on the go by spending at least an hour a day listening to podcasts (45%).
The study also reveals that streaming on-demand content is a top daily activity, with 63% spending at least an hour daily doing so on their mobile phones. However, it has a different pull or staying power than other mobile activities. Compared to socialising through social media apps (74%) or online social gaming (45%), only 37% of respondents expect to spend more time on this in the next one to two years.
“These trends highlight the opportunity for operators to expand beyond the traditional, towards new capabilities and services, becoming not only an enabler of the technology but also a co-creator in the metaverse,” says Jørgen C Arentz Rostrup, head of Telenor Asia.
See also: Nearly four in five Apac retailers will increase their tech investment in 2025
One in two firms have fully aligned their business and network strategies
NTT’s latest report reveals that only half of the organisations globally have their network strategy in alignment with their business goals.
Consequently, 70% cite that their networks struggle to keep pace with business demands for increased speed and innovation, mainly due to technical debt and lack of expertise.
The majority also agree that increasing security and compliance risks are hard to address throughout their IT and network operations.
Besides that, nearly nine in 10 IT leaders see the need for AIOps, automation and improved analytics to optimise their network operations.
The lack of visibility across their network architectures currently restricts their operational insight and causes reactive firefighting. As such, real-time analytics and the ability to drill down into issues that require attention are seen as the most critical area of network management. Automation can also help by covering software patching, security postures, inventory management and change and configuration management, among others.
Given these challenges, four in five organisations are outsourcing or will outsource network management within the next two years.
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They prefer outsourcing their network to a single managed service provider that offers end-to-end solutions to avoid challenges such as contract and service level complexity, solutions interoperability issues and the availability of skilled resources to manage multiple technology or network vendors effectively.
Meanwhile, 93% of the IT leaders surveyed are also looking to partner with specialist-managed service providers for network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions.
Critical motivators for considering a NaaS model include flexibility to scale to match consumption with business demands, supply chain certainty, demand for a single consumable model where they can purchase through a catalogue of services, and desire to balance operating expenditure and capital expenditure.
IN PICTURE
Photo: SailGP
Sail Grand Prix’s (SailGP) systems collect live data from thousands of installed sensors on an F50 catamaran to obtain highly accurate measurements at up to 30,000 data points per second per sailing vessel. The data is shared across all competing teams to level the playing field and emphasise tactics. This means winning depends on how teams interpret and use that real-time data to adjust and improve their performance to get an edge during a race.
Additionally, the data provides race officials with the details they need to make calls more confidently, which is vital as umpires are centralised in the UK and work remotely on races. The data also feeds the TV broadcast’s on-screen graphics and analysis, and gives fans a rich source of information on the SailGP mobile app and SailGP.com
DIGITAL LIFE
Here are some gift ideas if you have yet to get a Valentine’s Day present for your beau.
Photo: Jabra
Available in titanium black, black, and gold beige, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro promises a next-generation sound with its durable, custom speakers. These all-encompassing earbuds will last up to eight hours of non-stop playtime with the adjustable advanced active noise cancellation (ANC) feature, and up to 30 hours with a charging case.
Photo: Sharp
Designed according to the technique of a scalp masseur, the Sharp Plasmacluster Scalp Massager keeps the scalp moisturised and regulates the amount of sebum
with Plasmacluster ions to improve the overall scalp quality. It helps to remove excess sebum around the pores for a healthier scalp.
Photo: Samsung
Visit the Galaxy Experience Space at the West Lawn of Gardens by the Bay to explore the latest range of Samsung innovations. You can also join a complimentary workshop to learn how to use your Samsung devices fully.
